natural-born

adjective

nat·​u·​ral-born ˈna-ch(ə-)rəl-ˌbȯrn How to pronounce natural-born (audio)
variants or less commonly natural born
1
: having a specified status at birth
natural-born Americans
especially : having at birth the legal status of citizen or subject (see subject entry 1 sense 1b)
No Person except a natural born Citizen … shall be eligible to the Office of President … U.S. Constitution
compare native-born
2
: able to do something well immediately or from the very first time
a natural-born storyteller

Word History

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of natural-born was in 1583

Dictionary Entries Near natural-born

Cite this Entry

“Natural-born.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/natural-born. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!